A self-proclaimed street preacher accused of killing three men who answered a Craigslist ad for a non-existent job, preyed on people who were down on their luck, a prosecutor said yesterday.

In opening statements, special prosecutor Emily Pelphrey, of the Ohio Attorney General's office, called Richard Beasley a 'false prophet' who took advantage of his victims by giving them 'a message of hope and change and a new start in life.'

Beasley, 53, is charged with the murder of three men, two of whom were apparently lured by the Craigslist ad.

On trial: During a prosecutor's opening statement, Richard Beasley was branded a 'false prophet' who took advantage of his victims by giving them 'a message of hope and change and a new start in life'

Victims: As well as Ralph Geiger, David Pauley (left) was found buried in
a shallow grave in 2011. Police later unearthed the body of Timothy Kern (right)

If convicted, he faces the death penalty in the murders of David Pauley, 51, of Norfolk, Virginia; Ralph Geiger, 56, of Akron, Ohio; and Timothy Kern, 47, of Massillon, Ohio.

When the prosecutor outlined how Kern
was killed, his father, Jack Kern, sitting in the front row of the
public gallery, wiped his eyes and shifted in his seat as he listened.

'He was shot in the back of the
head,' said Pelphrey, who showed a November 13, 2011, parking lot
surveillance photo of Kern, apparently the last time he was seen alive.

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He was shot later that morning, Pelphrey said.

Beasley is also charged with the attempted murder of Scott Davis, who answered the Craigslist ad and was shot in the arm while escaping after meeting Beasley and his teenage accomplice Brogan Rafferty.

Davis, the lone survivor, was
shot in the arm and fled into the woods. The South Carolina man was
looking to move closer to his family in the Canton area.

Convicted:
Brogan Rafferty has already been sentenced to life in prison without parole for his role in the murders. He is expected to testify against Beasley in his trial

Wheeled in: Beasley is confined to a wheelchair due to a back injury

Davis, who was the star witness at Rafferty's trial, will also testify against Beasley, Pelphrey said.

Davis fled into the woods in Noble
County after hearing the click of a handgun, getting shot in the arm,
and pushing the weapon aside. 'You're going to hear him talk about
that,' Pelphrey said.

Rafferty, who thought of Beasley as a
mentor and friend, was convicted last year and was sentenced to life in
prison without the chance of parole.

Mugshot: Prosecutors said Beasley lured his first victim, Ralph Geiger, with the offer of a non-existent caretaker job at a rural Ohio ranch

The 17-year-old Rafferty was tried as an adult and sentenced to life in prison without parole in November for his role in the deadly scheme.

He was 16 years old at the time of the crimes and not eligible for the death penalty.

Rafferty, too young at the time of
the crimes to be eligible for the death penalty, has agreed to testify
against Beasley, the alleged triggerman.

It was unclear whether his testimony could lead to a sentence reduction.

Prosecutors said Beasley lured his first victim, Geiger, with the offer of a non-existent caretaker job on a 680-acre ranch in rural Ohio, killed him, stole his identity and even changed his appearance to look like Geiger.

'He wanted a new identity and he got it,' Pelphrey said in her opening statement.

Beasley then allegedly placed an ad on Craiglist, to attract other victims.

The
attacks were among a series of incidents involving Craigslist and other
social media in which people advertising goods for sale or responding
to ads have been attacked and killed.

In 2009, a former medical student was accused of killing a masseuse he met through Craigslist.

Philip Markoff killed himself in his jail cell before he could be tried for the murder.

Beasley, wearing a dark sport coat and
sitting in a wheelchair, made frequent eye contact with jurors as his
attorney described his client's life working as a machinist until he was
forced to take low-paying jobs when he was badly injured in a car
accident.

Lured: The attacks took place after men responded to the same advert offering work on a 688-acre cattle farm